I beelined from New York to Florida, where I got two and a half blissful days of catching up with friends, several helpings of coleslaw, the satisfaction of singing "What's Up?" by 4 Non-Blondes (And I said, "Hey! Yeah, yeah, yeah! HEYYY, YEAH, YEAHH!"), and of course the reason for my trip in the first place: the wonderful wedding of Margot and Eric.

Let's dive back into the Sunshine State, shall we?

Bypassing Selfie City en route to St. Augustine. Photo: Me

Day 1: The Road Trip & Arrival

Leland and I hitched a ride with Molly from Tampa to St. Augustine — surviving on selfies, Funyuns, and four hours of carefully selected power ballads (lovingly curated long-distance during the two weeks prior).

When we pulled into the driveway of our Airbnb (named "Urban Blue Cottage"), I thought it looked like someone plucked this surf-chic home out of the pages of Too Cool For You magazine — at first. Once inside, the warm + welcoming vibes were strong. So strong, that said-vibes materialized into an actual indoor hammock. This place was magic.

Good lighting was e v e r y w h e r e. I know we have the sun in NYC, too, but it was unreal! (Weird tangent on lighting, but good lighting is good lighting. Hence the impromptu photoshoot at the top of this post.) We immediately unpacked, called beds, and made ourselves at home.

Even the photobombing houseplant welcomed me with open arms. Photo: Leland Van Alstyne

Resident hammock tester. Photo: Leland Van Alstyne

"Look! There's even more light here!" Photo: Leland Van Alstyne

Photo: Leland Van Alstyne

Photo: Leland Van Alstyne

Photo: Leland Van Alstyne

Once we settled in, it was time to head to Jacksonville for a family BBQ celebrating the bride and groom. As soon as we saw the photobooth, it was game over. Plants, grad pics, bookends, and other non-prop items have been immortalized forever in the wedding album, presumably.